children's expired passport

[Kcrazycruisers]

Hey we just got a great deal on a last minute cruise and figured out the kids passport is expired, will customs take it? or should I just hand them the birth certificates?

[sparks1093]

Hey we just got a great deal on a last minute cruise and figured out the kids passport is expired, will customs take it? or should I just hand them the birth certificates?

 

I would go with the birth certificate. While an expired passport is still proof of citizenship (according to the State Department website) it is not listed as an accepted document in the DHS regulations (assuming of course that you are sailing on a closed loop cruise and you are all US citizens).

[cb at sea]

Once something expires, it's no longer valid! Bring the BC's!

[Algebralovr]

Agree with above posters, the expired passports won't work for customs. Use the BCs.

 

The expired passports are good for getting new passports, however.

[SuiteTraveler]

You can use a passport expeditor service to get your kids new passports as quickly as in 24 hours during business days. IMO, it is safer to cruise with passports than without on the off chance you have a medical emergency or get stuck somewhere and need to get home. Without the kids passports, that might turn into a complicated problem.

[Sherlock43031]

how can anyone answer this question without knowing where they are cruising?

[sparks1093]

how can anyone answer this question without knowing where they are cruising?

 

Elementary my dear Sherlock:D, they are sailing on the Celebrity Constellation in 14 days which is a round trip out of Ft Lauderdale. (Plus the way they phrase their question indicates some basic knowledge of the requirements.)

[serene56]

Hey we just got a great deal on a last minute cruise and figured out the kids passport is expired, will customs take it? or should I just hand them the birth certificates?

 

if you are cruising out of US then a birth certificate will be all you need for them

[Sue Do-Over]

If you're getting close to travel date... don't risk having all your child's documents tied up in processing.

 

You'll need to send in their old passport and their birth certificate, leaving you nothing to use for the cruise if anything gets held up.

 

The (expensive) expedite services only hand-deliver your paperwork to the passport office. They don't do anything you couldn't do yourself.

 

Call the office in your city or region. Deliver or FedEx the paperwork and then make an appointment to pick up the completed passport. It's more expensive than standard processing, but a ton cheaper than the 'service', and you know where your documents are.

 

It's not usually a same-day process -- the agency still runs a check of your documentation.

[sparks1093]

If you're getting close to travel date... don't risk having all your child's documents tied up in processing.

 

You'll need to send in their old passport and their birth certificate, leaving you nothing to use for the cruise if anything gets held up.

 

The (expensive) expedite services only hand-deliver your paperwork to the passport office. They don't do anything you couldn't do yourself.

 

Call the office in your city or region. Deliver or FedEx the paperwork and then make an appointment to pick up the completed passport. It's more expensive than standard processing, but a ton cheaper than the 'service', and you know where your documents are.

 

It's not usually a same-day process -- the agency still runs a check of your documentation.

 

It was my understanding that if one has an expired passport and it hasn't been expired more than a certain period of time that was the only thing you needed to submit, you didn't need to prove your citizenship documents again. (But if one does need to submit their birth certificate it is good to keep a copy- there was recently a thread where someone did apply for a passport but it didn't come back in time and they sent the birth cert in with the passport. By the time they realized it there was only days to go and they had to scramble to find a copy somewhere as there was no time to obtain another.)

[nolesrule]

It was my understanding that if one has an expired passport and it hasn't been expired more than a certain period of time that was the only thing you needed to submit, you didn't need to prove your citizenship documents again. (But if one does need to submit their birth certificate it is good to keep a copy- there was recently a thread where someone did apply for a passport but it didn't come back in time and they sent the birth cert in with the passport. By the time they realized it there was only days to go and they had to scramble to find a copy somewhere as there was no time to obtain another.)

 

You cannot renew a passport for a minor. You have to go through the regular application process with all the documentation and apply in person.

 

There's a reason I have 2 certified copies of birth certificates for everyone in my family.

Edited March 5, 2014 by nolesrule

[sparks1093]

You cannot renew a passport for a minor. You have to go through the regular application process with all the documentation and apply in person.

 

There's a reason I have 2 certified copies of birth certificates for everyone in my family.

 

You can't renew by mail. And maybe it's not considered a "renewal" per se but the State Department website lists the citizenship documents that need to be sent in and it lists either a birth certificate or a passport (current or expired).

Edited March 5, 2014 by sparks1093

[Algebralovr]

An expired passport, even one that has been expired for a few years, is still proof of citizenship for getting a new passport. The last time I renewed mine, it had been expired for 7 years and I had gotten married in the meantime.

 

To get my new one, I sent in my old expired passport and my marriage certificate. I would have had to purchase a new BC, so the expired passport was a better choice.

 

Just remember, the passport book is the one document that does it all. I've used it when getting a new job, getting a new driver's license, and traveling. One passport replaces 2-3 three other documents when ID is needed.

[nolesrule]

You can't renew by mail. And maybe it's not considered a "renewal" per se but the State Department website lists the citizenship documents that need to be sent in and it lists either a birth certificate or a passport (current or expired).

 

The application must be presented in person, you fill out a DS-11 (not a DS-82), both parents must provide proof of relationship and be present or if not present provide proof of consent.

 

Anyone can use a passport or certified birth certificate copy as proof of citizenship for a DS-11.

 

So the only difference is that you'd already have a passport you can use, rather than a birth certificate.

 

 

I guess i should have been clearer when I said there's a reason I have 2 certified copies. First reason was for the initial passport application, so we'd still have a copy on hand if need were to arise. Second reason was in case we need to present the first copy for any reason, while traveling (and don't want to bring a passport), we have a backup certified copy at home. I also have 2 certified copies of my marriage license.

[sparks1093]

It was my understanding that if one has an expired passport and it hasn't been expired more than a certain period of time that was the only thing you needed to submit, you didn't need to prove your citizenship documents again. (But if one does need to submit their birth certificate it is good to keep a copy- there was recently a thread where someone did apply for a passport but it didn't come back in time and they sent the birth cert in with the passport. By the time they realized it there was only days to go and they had to scramble to find a copy somewhere as there was no time to obtain another.)

 

The application must be presented in person, you fill out a DS-11 (not a DS-82), both parents must provide proof of relationship and be present or if not present provide proof of consent.

 

Anyone can use a passport or certified birth certificate copy as proof of citizenship for a DS-11.

 

So the only difference is that you'd already have a passport you can use, rather than a birth certificate.

 

 

I guess i should have been clearer when I said there's a reason I have 2 certified copies. First reason was for the initial passport application, so we'd still have a copy on hand if need were to arise. Second reason was in case we need to present the first copy for any reason, while traveling (and don't want to bring a passport), we have a backup certified copy at home. I also have 2 certified copies of my marriage license.

 

Okay, but in the post of mine which you quoted I said that if you have an expired passport you may submit that in place of a birth certificate, which was in response to someone that said you needed to submit both the old passport and a birth certificate. Having extra copies of documents can definitely be a good idea regardless.

[reedl]

I just renewed my child's passport. It was acquired when she was 12 years old, and it only had a 5 year term. To get her a new adult passport, it required us to go in front of a passport acceptance officer (post office, etc.) to apply for a full passport. You cannot renew a "limited" passport (A child's passport is considered limited), via mail.

 

We had to provide the old limited passport and a birth certificate.

 

So you have to pay the fee for the passport, and the $25 fee for going in front of an agent.

 

The next time she renews (in 10 years), she will be able to do it via mail.

 

We do not have a trip planned, so we just did the standard processing.

Edited March 5, 2014 by reedl

[sparks1093]

I just renewed my child's passport. It was acquired when she was 12 years old, and it only had a 5 year term. To get her a new adult passport, it required us to go in front of a passport acceptance officer (post office, etc.) to apply for a full passport. You cannot renew a "limited" passport (A child's passport is considered limited), via mail.

 

We had to provide the old limited passport and a birth certificate.

 

So you have to pay the fee for the passport, and the $25 fee for going in front of an agent.

 

The next time she renews (in 10 years), she will be able to do it via mail.

 

We do not have a trip planned, so we just did the standard processing.

 

Okay, I went back and re-read the State's website. This'll teach me for not to scroll down the page. A passport may be used to prove citizenship but the birth certificate is still needed to prove who the parents are, so for a minor both are required (or other proof of who the parents are). My apologies to all.

Edited March 5, 2014 by sparks1093

[LeisaH3067]

Hey we just got a great deal on a last minute cruise and figured out the kids passport is expired, will customs take it? or should I just hand them the birth certificates?

 

We just booked a last minute on Carnival, sailing on April 5th, and our 3 kids passports expired last November. According to them, they can not be used. Birth Certificates are fine but please note that if you have a child 16 or older that they will need a photo id in addition to the certificate. I am so glad I called because I do have a 16 yr old who hasn't gotten his drivers license yet. For Carnival, a student id is ok, or a state issued id.